RE: [Axiom-developer] axiom project homepage

[Bill Page]

On Thursday, October 28, 2004 8:11 AM Martin Rubey wrote:

> 
> * www.axiom-developer.org currently redirects to 
> page.axiom-developer.org. I think it would be better
> to have it point to axiom.axiom-developer.org. One
> is more likely to remember www.axiom-developer.org than
> axiom.axiom-developer.org

I agree and have changed the redirect to point to
  axiom.axiom-developer.org

> 
> * The wiki link on axiom.axiom-developer.org leads to
> page.axiom-developer.org. I think it would be wiser to
> make page.axiom-developer.org/zope/mathaction/FrontPage
> the main wiki site. To me, the material on
> page.axiom-developer.org/zope/Plone is highly unorganized,
> confusing and not inviting. Is there material on Plone that 
> is missing on the MathAction site? If yes, please provide
> pointers. I volunteer to move it.
>   (Please!)

I think a direct link to MathAction is a good idea, BUT
I also think /zope/mathaction needs a more prominent link
to /zope/Plone (Axiom Portal).

Yes there are some documents on /zope/Plone that are not
on /zope/mathaction but I am not sure if they belong on
MathAction or not. There are things that Plone does that
the ZWiki software on MathAction can not do such as private
user files and controlled publication, calendar events,
bibliographies etc. There may also be some material on the
test.axiom-developer.org test site that is not on MathAction.

In principle, MathAction is the less controlled environment
because it is an open publicly accessible wiki. In fact, it
is more organized only because Martin has done a great job of
maintaining the content. The Plone Axiom Portal on the other
hand has not had nearly enough attention. I just don't have
enough time to spend on making things look nicer or even
necessarily configuring things to be most efficient. Plone
is very highly configurable. What we have right now on the
Axiom Portal is almost "straight out of the box". If anyone
has the time and is motivated to make the Axiom Portal site
look and work better I would be very happy to provide the
"technical support" - content however is not my strong point.

> 
> * the new homepage states that CAISS is supporting Axiom now. 
> In what sense? This looks like great news!

I also like Tim Daly's plans for soliciting additional
support and sponsorship from other sources. I think we
should include on this list other major commercial developers
of computer algebra software such as MapleSoft and Mathematica.
I don't see any conflict with asking for their support. After all
both Maple and Mathematica have benefited a great deal from the
pioneering efforts by the Axiom developers.

> 
> * Bill, you added two links to Tutorials to the FrontPage. 
> May I move them to the Axiom Documentation page? I have the
> feeling that they really belong there and that it scatters
> the FrontPage a little -- it doesn't fit on one screenfull
> anymore now...

Screen size is relative :) but I do think that such tutorials
should be VERY easily accessible - more or less right up front.
I expect that many people arrive at MathAction with little or
no knowledge of what Axiom really is. Navigating to a 2nd page
might be a (minor) inconvenience. Of course it is a matter of
preference but generally I do like to have more information
on the first page I see, not less.

> Do you think that "Axiom documentation and community" is
> misleading, i.e. that you wouldn't look there, if you are
> looking for a tutorial? If this is the case, maybe we
> should rename it to "Axiom tutorials, documentation and
> community"
> 

I suggest using just the name "Axiom tutorials and documentation".
The "community" part of it is (mostly) irrelevant. Elsewhere
perhaps we might want to have a page that says "Who's who in
the Axiom community" and list some of the community information
there.

Cheers,
Bill Page.